Penance
by JBard
Summary: Persephone has never understood the guilt and regret that haunts her dreams. Her father Jefferson, is none to pleased with having the responsibility of caring for her. Can a young girl with no memory of her sins, write the wrongs of a past life?
1. Through the Looking Glass and Back

Part 1:

"Did someone pull you by the hand? How many miles to Wonderland?" Danny Elfman (Alice)

On a warm summer evening across the plains of Wonderland, three cloaked figures hurriedly crept in the night. Leading this group was a man named Jefferson. Following close behind him was his wife Alice, clutching in her hands a small vial. Jefferson knew the price of sneaking them out of Wonderland, and had insisted on the cover of darkness for their escape. For now though, they were crouched in the Queens Garden, hiding from prying eyes.

"Jefferson we must leave now." A voice whispered from behind him. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Jefferson turned to the figure with a glare. Aurelie seemingly unfazed, only glared right back.

"This place is crawling with guards." Jefferson stated, leaning his head against the hedge in defeat.

"But if we stay we run the risk of…" Aurelie glanced to Alice, and upon seeing that her friend wasn't looking, make a swift motion with her hand across her neck. Jefferson grimaced, and took a moment to peer around the wall.

"There are five red guards that way. And that's the fastest route to the hat." He pointed out, signaling for Aurelie to look around the hedge. Aurelie took a moment to survey the situation before turning back to Jefferson and his wife.

"Can you take them?" Alice questioned, peering from around his shoulder. Aurelie looked taken aback for a moment, before nervously adjusting her tunic.

"Sorry, I'm all out of magic at the moment." She replied sarcastically, holding up her hands in defeat.

"That's not what I meant." Alice snapped back, casting her eyes to the dagger around the woman's waist.

"Oh." She replied quietly. "I'm out of shape."

Jefferson fought back the urge to laugh.

"Since when?" He shot back, gesturing to her. Alice moved to step between them, but Jefferson pulled her back.

"Alice, she can't be trusted." He warned, whispering in his beloved's ear. His wife shot him a glare and moved to stand between the two once more.

"I understand why you would be doubtful Jefferson." Aurelie remarked slowly, sounding defeated. "Alice, I'm injured. I can't fight right now." Aurelie stated to her friend softly. Alice nodded silently and turned towards Jefferson.

"We'll have to find another way. Surely you can-" A scuffle in the hedge caused Alice to pause. A few moments of silence later, Jefferson peered out from their hiding space once again.

"They're gone!" He remarked, amazed and relieved. And with a nod to his two companions they were off once again.

It wasn't until they were safely away from the guard's that Jefferson began to ponder their current situation. It was all because of that girl. What his wife saw in her, Jefferson himself would never understand. Aurelie and Alice had been best friends since childhood, and Alice treasured the friendship above all else. Alice didn't have family to speak of, and so she saw the woman as a sister. That he understood, what he couldn't understand was Alice's loyalty through everything Aurelie had done. He had to admit that she was a powerful ally when facing Regina. And in fact, an even more powerful ally to have if they ever had to deal with _Him_. That didn't, however, erase all of the horrible atrocities she had committed in the name of vengeance. But if Jefferson was certain of one thing, it was Aurelie's loyalty to her friends. Of that he was sure of.

"Jefferson!" Alice screamed, startling him out of his thoughts. He turned, and found his wife ensnared in tree roots. The roots continued to wrap around her frail frame, entrapping her even further.

"Alice!" He screamed, doubling back. He noticed Aurelie was slower to turn and follow, a strange look upon her face.

"Jefferson! The portal!" Aurelie screamed after him. His heart skipped a beat, as he turned and watched soldiers descend upon them.

"I have to get Alice!" He responded with resolve, running towards his wife and hacking at the roots with his sword. Aurelie seemed to be handling the guard's rather well, considering her ailment. A moment later she was at his side, staring down at Alice.

"Alice the vial," Aurelie ordered even as he was helping to free his wife. Alice nodded, and thrust the vial of liquid into her friend's outstretched palm. Jefferson, still cutting at the last of the roots glared at the witch.

"Thank you for your help." He added sarcastically, finally freeing Alice and holding her tight. Aurelie shrugged nonchalantly, transfixed on the clear liquid in the bottle.

"Alright, you have what you came here for. Now can we go?" Alice questioned, sounding annoyed with her friend. She was no doubt a bit shaken from the experience with Wonderland's trees.

"Right, The portal." Aurelie remembered, and she pocketed the vial.

Jefferson, wanting to get out of Wonderland as soon as possible, started off hand in hand with Alice. It was just a few minutes later that they were all crouched on the ground, groaning from the exhaustion of their trip. But they had made it back, and found themselves in the middle of the very wood they had departed from.

Out of the corner of his eye Jefferson observed Aurelie's face, drawn in a sort of contemplation. She sighed suddenly, and then shook her head furiously, as if she were arguing with herself.

"Can't do it." She murmured, fingering the vial resting in her pocket.

"Can't do what?" Alice asked curiously, sitting up from the ground and turning to her friend.

"This." She snarled out, lunging forward and burying the hilt of her dagger in Alice's chest. His wife groaned, and fell back into his arms, limp and cold.

"Alice." He whispered, cradling her body in his arms. Aurelie's dagger was coated with blood, which he somehow still couldn't register.

"Help! Help her!" He screamed at the witch. Not realizing. Still not believing.

"Why?" A broken Alice asked, blood running down her dress.

"Don't you blame me! You did this. This is on you! Not me!" Aurelie screamed, completely out of her mind. He could see it plainly now, this madness that had taken hold. And his wife was broken because of it. His wife had always been broken due to madness. And then suddenly, it dawned on him. Not a broken Alice. She couldn't just be pieced back together. She was his wife. She was dead. And he still loved her.

Part 2:

"No, I would not want to live in a world without dragons, as I would not want to live in a world without magic, for that is a world without mystery, and that is a world without faith." R.A. Salvatore

Persephone Hatter awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and shaking. Lately her dreams had been anything but normal, and even worse, she remembered them. In fact, she couldn't seem to get the images she saw at night out of her mind. It was strange, because her entire life she remembered nothing of sleeping and dreaming. And yet now, dreams plagued her every thoughts. She extended a shaking hand out, and grasped for her glass of water. Leaning against the pillows in her soft bed she let out a tired sigh. Her nights were becoming sleepless. A knock, short and rapt, scared her once more and she nearly jumped out of the sheets.

"Yes." She croaked, glancing at the clock. It was early still, the clock reading 3am. The door opened to reveal the tired face of her father, Jefferson Hatter.

"I heard screaming." He remarked pistol in hand. Persephone rolled her eyes, and sat up further in her bed. Jefferson scanned the room for a moment, and when she looked at him again the pistol was gone.

"I had a nightmare. That's all." Persephone explained taking another large gulp of her water. Her father regarded her coldly for a moment, and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. That was how he looked upon her most days, despite her best efforts to please him. But for the moment it seemed her father let his tiredness take over his façade.

"Come on. I'll make us hot chocolate, so that we can both go back to sleep." Her father said beckoning to her with his hand. However before she had even touched her feet to the ground he was gone down the hallway. She rolled her eyes, and trudged slowly after him, too tired to complain.

By the time she arrived at the kitchen her father was done making the hot chocolate.

"Here," He handed her a steaming cup. "My grandmother used to give me this all the time. It helps you sleep. A guaranteed dreamless sleep, in fact."

Persephone doubted that such remedies existed, but she smiled anyway.

"Thank you," she replied softly, gazing deep into the cup. It was although an old memory was being unwilling drudged up. And yet she found everything about the cocoa familiar and comforting.

"Do you want to tell me what your dream was about?" Her father asked her, sipping his own steaming cup. Aurelie shook her head, fiddling with the place mat idly.

"No. It's like there bits and pieces out of someplace deep inside me. I don't quite understand it." She remarked staring at the table. Her father seemed rooted in his spot, tense and guarded.

"I find it's best to ignore such things." He told her, giving her a smile. She tried to smile as well, but she was afraid it came out more of a grimace.

"So do I." She responded with resolve. And with that the pair finished their cocoa in silence, and headed off to bed. Persephone found her dreams were quiet. A dreamless sleep in fact.


	2. A Fair Trade

AN: So first of all, I feel the need to tell you all that I debated for a long while whether or not to make Alice Jefferson's wife. In the end I made the conclusion to do so, despite the argument of him being the "Mad Hatter" in Alice in Wonderland. Secondly, all of the chapters set in FTL (after this one) will actually be in Aurelie's POV as opposed to Jefferson's. And as far as the time line goes, Ch 1 was set further down the line in the story, to explain the tensions between Jefferson and Aurelie. Ch 2 and on, will begin when she was younger, and progress on to the point when the curse took effect.

And in case Ch 1 was a bit confusing, Persephone is the Storybrooke component of Aurelie. But I promise all will be explained in due time!

Ch 2: A fair Trade

"Once we have accepted the story we cannot escape the story's fate."

Outside the castle walls, the people King George's kingdom celebrated. It was a night where wishes had come true, and hope had been returned to the land. In the throne room however, the King and Queen were as unhappy as ever. Their wishes had been fulfilled, only with a terrible price. The queen, head bowed, soothed a young babe in her arms, even as tears fell down her own face. The King paced around the hall, deep in thought.

"Still not happy I see." A voice remarked, as a figure glided out of the shadows of the throne room. The King and Queen stopped, a thick silence coating the air.

"What? You don't appreciate my 'gift'?" The man named Rumplestiltskin continued. He had a grin upon his face, as he held his arms out to the young Queen. Rather ungracefully, the Queen nearly threw the child in the imp's arms, and then hastily retreated behind her husband. Rumplestiltskin held the baby up to the light, surveying her closely. The child outstretched a tiny hand towards his face, and her touch brought a frown to his features.

"You promised us an heir!" King George snarled, pointing to Rumplestiltskin accusingly.

"No. What I promised was a child. And a child I have given you." The imp replied, pointing to the child cooing in his arms.

"That thing is not a child!" King George roared, bringing another frown to the dark one's face.

"You didn't see what she did! What she can do!" The Queen screamed, speaking for the first time. He face was white, and her slender hands pointed to the baby in an accusing manner.

"You asked for a child. You wanted magic to give you what you wanted! This is the price. I made you a child with magic, and magic she shall have." Rumplestiltskin replied his dark face set with anger.

"We don't want it." King George argued, his lips forming a thin line. "But the people expect a child. As we speak, they celebrate the birth of an heir. The birth of a son…"

"You have nothing left to give me." Rumplestiltskin stated, handing the baby to king, who looked disgusted by the very sight of her. The Queen began sobbing, clutching her husband tightly. The imp laughed at the sight of them, before turning to walk away.

The dark one didn't make it ten feet before stopping dead in his tracks.

"On second thought…" Rumplestiltskin muttered, before twirling around, eyes transfixed on the child. He grinned madly, and in under a second held the child in his arms once again.

"Seems I've changed my mind…" Rumplestiltskin remarked, eyes never leaving the stormy eyes of the baby. "In fact, I've decided to do this for you. Out of the kindness of my heart," the imp replied bowing to the couple.

"What's your price?" The Queen questioned softly, refusing to meet the eyes of the dark one. Rumplestiltskin laughed, smiling ear to ear.

"Let's just say, you owe me a favor." He quipped, adjusting the child in his arms. "I'll even throw in a replacement child for you. Since the Queen is still barren."

King George seemed stunned to silence, and seated himself in his throne heavily. The Queen however moved gracefully towards the imp, placing a slender hand upon his arm.

"Thank you." She whispered, tears in her eyes. She turned her eyes to the baby, and touched its forehead sadly. She recoiled, as if burned, and ran from the throne room sobbing. Rumplestiltskin seemed amused by the whole situation, and strode from the hall, leaving King George alone in his silence. As soon as Rumplestiltskin was out of earshot he looked to the child, who gazed at him curiously.

"Don't worry I have plans for you young one. And one day, you'll be of great use to me." He whispered to the child, who twisted her face and began to cry. Rumplestiltskin frowned, and silenced the child with a wave of his hand. "Don't cry dearie. After all, you can't fight destiny." And with those final words Rumplestiltskin and the child disappeared into the darkness once more. The destination was a small farm, in need of a miracle.

A young farmer and his wife Ruth, were also unhappy. They wished for a miracle to come along, before they lost their children to starvation. The farmer Bancroft cared greatly for his family, but he felt as though he had failed them.

"Bancroft, what are we to do?" Ruth would ask him, over and over. Her once beautiful face was sullen, and her eyes were full of tears each time he looked at her. The babies fared even worse, and he feared for all of their lives. The crops wouldn't grow, and without the crops they were doomed to their fate. And so, for Bancroft, it was nothing short of a miracle when Rumplestiltskin showed up on his doorstep. The imp carried with him a baby girl, and promised the farmer all they would need to survive, for a price.

Ruth begged her husband not to make the deal. She cried, and promised that they would find a way to survive on their own. But Bancroft knew it was their best chance. That's why when he handed over his baby boy, he felt as though it was the right decision.

Due to Ruth's sadness, it was only too easy for Rumplestiltskin to convince the couple to take in the baby girl. The farmer knew that one child could never replace another in Ruth's mind, but she had always wished for a daughter.

"Take this child. Care for her, raise her as your own. And on her 12th birthday I will come for her. At that time she will come to work in my dark castle." Rumplestiltskin ordered, handing the child over with surprising care. It was upsetting to Ruth that they would gain this child, only to lose her 12 years later. But Rumplestiltskin promised that their crops would grow and flourish, for as long as the child was in their care. This deal would ensure that the son they still had left would survive. He would be well fed, in a family that loved him. They made the deal with a heavy heart. Ruth held her new child in her arms, glancing upon the small dark tuft of hair, and stormy eyes.

"Wait!" She called out, as Rumplestiltskin turned to leave, her baby in his arms. "What shall we call her?" The imp smiled evilly at Ruth in response.

"Call her Aurelie. It suits her." Rumplestiltskin ordered them lips curling into a wicked grin.

"Oh! And keep your other boy safe as well. He may yet come in handy as well, one day."

Rumplestiltskin said, before laughing and disappearing away. Bancroft shared a look with his wife, before turning and disappearing inside with his son clutched tightly in his arms. Ruth looked down at the curious child in her arms, before sighing ruefully.

"Oh my dear Aurelie, what will be your story? What could that horrible man possibly want from an innocent child like you?"

Ruth's questions would go unanswered for a long while. But for now, young Aurelie slept in the crib next to her new brother. A crib crafted for another. In Rumplestiltskin's eyes, it was a fair trade.

AN: I apologize for the short chapter! I had a Storybrooke counterpart that I wanted to add, but decided to leave it for later. Don't worry, there will be more between Persephone and Jefferson soon!


	3. The Potion

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. It's very sad, I know.

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip_._

The sounds of water trickling were perhaps the only sounds that kept Rumlestiltskin sane. Those sounds of the world reminded him of why he was in a cell, and all that needed to be accomplished.

_Emma. Emma. Emma_.

That name also kept him sane. The savior was meant to break the curse; she would bring him back to the only thing that mattered anymore. _She_ was gone, but his boy could still be alive. Baelfire. He didn't know how many times he had to think of his boy to keep himself going, to keep the plan on track.

A swish, followed by a cloud of white smoke followed. Rumplestiltskin rose from his perch at the corner of his cell and grinned. She was here, and she was always fun. Especially when she was angry.

"Always did have a flair for dramatics dearie." He stated, moving closer to the bars as the smoke dissipated. A young girl stood on the other side, and she gave a sly grin before stepping forward.

"As did you Rumple. Although, I never imagined that you would actually lock yourself up on purpose." She stated, trailing her finger along the bars of his cell. She was probably the only one who dared come so close to him, anyone else might end up dead.

"This coming from the girl who has been a prisoner in this castle for longer than I. Tell me, do they know you can escape your cell?" Rumplestilkstin couldn't help but laugh at the truly offended look on her face.

"My room Rumple. And I'm sure common sense tells them that I can, but that I don't. I placed the spell on the room myself, remember?" She spat, looking a bit bitter about the whole thing, and the dark one only shrugged as if it didn't matter.

"Right, right, you're brother being the King does have its advantages. But what would they do if they knew you were here, talking to me?" He countered, enjoying watching all of the facial expressions she often made.

"They won't know." She spoke quietly, finally moving a safe distance away from the cell. The unspoken was that, they wouldn't care, at least not with the curse nearly upon them.

"The curse- will it…" She trailed off, voice thick with emotion. The dark one himself barely understood, considering the fact that she had nearly offered up her own death not so long ago.

"Kill you? Perhaps…" He closed his eyes for a minute, and then paused. "No. I don't believe so."

Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes to her leaning against the wall of the underground, rolling her eyes.

"You sound so very certain…" She replied sarcastically. "You might be happy to be rid of me, if I wasn't so **vital**."

He had to admit, she did have her annoying flaws. She was correct, he would be happy to be rid of her. Over time she had come to be similar to a disease to him, or actually more similar to a parasite. Feeding off his energy, while never returning anything of value. He had long ago come to terms with the mistake that he had made in creating her, and he would forever live with those consequences. She couldn't be allowed to die though.

"Correct on all accounts. But how to keep you alive I wonder?" The imp mused quietly, causing her to move towards the bars curiously. He leapt forward, grabbing her hand tight and quickly pouring a purple drop on her palm. The girl nearly screamed, and a spasm wracked her form as she fell on the ground.

"What the hell was that?" She accused, studying her palm. Rumplestiltskin gave a signature laugh of glee.

"An attempt to make you a little more...portable. You're coming with us now dearie. I still have many plans for you dear Aurelie. And you will come through for me in the end." He practically snarled out the last part, while the black hair beauty glared menacingly at him. In a flash she was gone, but the smoke that was left over almost looked purple now, so his lips curled into a smile.

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes, enjoying what was to come. Leaning his head against the stone he barely registered the sounds around him. But even as the dark curse engulfed him, the smile never left his face.

Storybrooke, Maine- 28 years later

"Daddy?" The voice was like nails on a chalkboard to Jefferson's ears, but that word was even worse.

"Yes dear?" He answered kindly, hating himself for his own politeness. He also hated that she had to be kept inside, all day, with him. And he hated the fact that he couldn't bring himself to just drop her off at the borderline of Storybrooke and call it a day. Damn it all.

"Can you pass me the-" Persephone's voice suddenly caught in her throat, and she dropped her book. She clutched her hand crying out in pain, and despite his own protests he moved forward to help her. Grabbing her hand he flipped it over to reveal a large burn, as if she had suddenly put her hand in a flame. His brow furrowed, and he noticed her biting her lip to keep from crying out.

"It's alright sweetie, it's just a burn." He said leaving her side to grab bandages from the bathroom. _Leave her there, like she would to you. _A voice said, but Jefferson pushed it away.

"I don't understand. What did this?" Persephone questioned, studying her hand carefully. Jefferson duly noted how different that reaction was to her nature, as he sat down to tend to her wound.

"I told you not to sit so close to the stove." He murmured, pretending to turn the stove off.

"Oh, yes , right. Of course." She said softly, rolling her eyes at herself and her face glazing back over. Jefferson wrapped her hand relatively fast, wanting to be done with this interaction as soon as possible.

"All right, we'll take you to the doctor in the morning. It will be fine until then I suppose." He said, and Persephone nodded in accordance before getting up from the table.

"Oh, what was it you wanted?" He questioned, remembering their conversation before the mysterious burn. Persephone's eyes lifted and went directly to the teapot, and then down at her cup. From where he was sitting the cup looked empty. She shook her head hurriedly, walking and placing the cup in the sink.

"Nothing, never mind. I can't really remember anymore. Goodnight!" And with that she hurried out of the room, sparing one last glance of the teapot. He was too tired to point out that it was only eight o'clock. Shaking his head he shrugged and poured himself another cup of tea, humming quietly to himself. As he approached where they were sitting his eyes strayed to the book she had been reading, now forgotten. He flipped the book over to read the title out of pure curiosity, and his heart stopped.

**Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll** stared back at him. With a yell he threw his teacup at the wall, watching it shatter with satisfaction. The irony of it all.

In her room Persephone could only cry herself to sleep from the unbelievable pain in her hand. And that night she dreamt it wasn't Alice that was trapped in Wonderland, _it was her_.

* * *

A.N: I hope that wasn't too confusing! The storyline will tend to jump around a lot.


	4. The Riddler

A.N.- Chapter one of this story is set shorty after Emma Swan arrives in town and time starts moving again. Chapter Three, the last chapter, is set on the night Emma Swan arrives in town. The contrast between Chapters one and three/four is supposed to show the huge change in the relationship between Jefferson and Persephone, in such a short period of time. To summarize, the more the curse weakens, the more Jefferson will begin to see Aurelie as opposed to Persephone. The timeline in Storybrooke will be continuous from this chapter on, except for random flashbacks if needed. The timeline in fairytale land however will tend to jump around, if only for the reason of contrast between the two worlds. And also, I plan on writing the Prince James/Charming/David storyline with Aurelie before delving into the Wonderland arch I have planned.

Disclaimer: Still own nothing. References are made that belong to Walt Disney, Once Upon a Time, Sophocles, and Lewis Carol.

* * *

Chapter Reference Quote:

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I  
the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a  
little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the  
world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!" (Lewis Carrol) Alice, from  
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

* * *

The next morning Persephone awoke to a sharp, rather uncomfortable burning in her right palm. She sat straight up in her bed, clutching her palm to her in her pain.

"Shit!" She cursed, swinging out of bed and kicking her bedside table in frustration. As soon as the tantrum had rolled through her, it subsided just as quickly. Her own anger had surprised her, and she sat at the edge of her bed quietly in silence.

_Count to ten. _A voice in her head ordered her, sounding to her familiar to a mother's voice, which she had never had. Closing her eyes, she counted slowly in her head, taking deep breaths as her anger subsided. She didn't particularly like the reaction pain seemed to bring about in her.

As soon as her anger subsided, she set her sights towards getting ready for the day. She figured the sooner she was ready the sooner her father would take her to the doctor, and the sooner her pain would begin to subdue. It didn't take her particularly long to get ready for the day ahead; after all she didn't have anyone she wanted to impress. The only problem she had found was the fact that her clothes didn't seem to fit her as well as they normally did.

"Weird." She murmured, staring at herself in her floor length mirror. She looked down at herself, and upon realizing her pants were too short for her, reached into her closet for boots to cover the embarrassing situation. Luckily, or rather unluckily, she had plenty of both clothes and shoes. Persephone never had quite figured out where her father procured his money from, having never recalled seeing him work a day in his life. Grabbing her boots, she realized now that her feet must have grown as well, because they barely fit. She nearly found herself tumbling over her bed trying to put them on.

"Great." She mumbled, exhausted from putting her outfit on. "Now I have to buy all new clothes." Persephone sighed, and collapsed back in her bed, just wanting to curl up and sleep this nightmare of a morning away. Before she could put her thoughts into action, a sharp rapt at the door interrupted her thoughts. Before she could even answer, the door opened (which in her opinion ruined the entire point of knocking), revealing the weary face of her father.

"I heard banging." Jefferson stated, his eyebrows raised. Persephone grunted, standing up from her position on the bed.

"I have a multitude of problems this morning. Can we go to the doctor now? I think my hand might need to be amputated." She might have sounded like a whiny brat, but quite honestly she felt that maybe this trip to the doctor should have occurred last night. Her father only rolled his eyes at her dramatic antics, and nodded holding up his car keys.

"I figured as much." He stopped suddenly, staring at her strangely for a moment. "Did your clothes shrink?"

Persephone could only glare up at her father, who stood more than a foot taller than her.

"I think I grew overnight." She dryly stated, walking through the house toward the garage. Jefferson followed behind her, twirling the car keys in his hand.

"I'll give you money for clothes later." Her father stated, as they got into the car, and she groaned. For whatever reason, she didn't necessarily enjoy shopping for clothes.

"Thanks." She mumbled, if only to remain polite, but out of the corner of her eye she saw her father smile in amusement. He looked over to her as they pulled out of the driveway and then looked down to her hand.

"Remember to keep that hand elevated." Jefferson said, and even though she rolled her eyes she still put her hand up.

"It's becoming kind of numb. Maybe I don't need to go to the doctor after all…" Persephone trailed off, peeking under her bandage relieved that the pain was subsiding. The wound itself didn't exactly look pretty, so she quickly put the bandage back over the burn.

"I'm not a doctor, but I do believe pain is always a good sign. Besides, that burn did look pretty nasty this morning." Jefferson said as they turned into the hospital parking lot. Persephone scrunched up her nose, glaring at the building.

"I thought we were going to the doctor." She accused, glaring at her father. "You never said anything about the hospital."

Jefferson turned the car off and turned to glare right back at her.

"The doctor in this town is an idiot. I wouldn't trust that man with a head cold. Besides I called the Urgent Clinic this morning, and they said I should take you to the hospital to get checked on. We might have to wait awhile though." At his words Persephone's mouth pulled into a frown.

"Fine. Let's get this over with. You know how much I hate hospitals." Persephone grumbled stalking out of the car, heading toward the main entrance to the hospital.

"Right behind you." Jefferson grumbled to himself, before exiting the car and following his daughter inside.

The two 'Hatters' both entered the main doors to the hospital, and made their way to the nurse's station. Storybrooke General Hospital wasn't generally a very busy place. It was however pretty much the only place to go in Storybrooke to receive adequate medical care.

"Can I help you?" A nurse kindly asked, glancing quickly at the young girls bandaged hand, and the man standing beside her.

"Yes, my daughter burnt her hand and I would like to get it looked at." Jefferson replied, reaching into his pocket and removing two cards and a sheet of paper. He placed all three on the counter, and the nurse handed Jefferson a clipboard and a pen.

"Sign and date at the bottom please." The nurse instructed, getting up from her chair to make copies of the information. While Jefferson signed the form, and answered what seemed to be an endless stream of questions, Persephone swayed slightly in her spot before leaning against the counter for support. Finally the nurse asked Persephone for her hand, and attached a hospital bracelet to her wrist.

"Okay, it will just be a few moments until we can get you into triage. I'm going to page Dr. Whale now though…" The nurse trailed off, stealing a glance at the exhausted looking young girl. Jefferson followed her gaze and nodded, before having to practically carry his daughter to the waiting room.

"What happened to feeling fine?" He asked somewhat seriously, as she slumped in her chair. She lifted her head enough to glare at him, and he rubbed her back comfortingly. Sighing, Persephone leaned her head against Jefferson's shoulder, trying to concentrate on her even breathing. Her father stiffened for a moment, before he relaxed and gently patted her head.

"I'm going to get you some water." He stated after a few minutes, and she nodded shifting her weight from his shoulder to the chair. "Don't pass out while I'm gone." He said, and Persephone wasn't entirely sure if he meant it as a joke or not. She numbly nodded, and watched his retreating form as he walked away. After a few minutes of waiting for him to return, she decided to rest her eyes for a few moments at least. She wasn't planning on falling asleep, but closing her eyes was making her feel just a little bit more comfortable.

That was, until someone decided to yell in her ear.

"Hey kid you all right!" An obnoxious voice shouted, and Persephone nearly jumped out of her skin. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of a very bizarre looking woman. The first thing Persephone noticed was her rather eccentric wardrobe, consisting of a vintage dress that she supposed would have been nice if it had been clean, and knee high socks in two different colors. The woman was wearing no shoes, but had on various rings and bracelets that almost looked expensive. What most stuck out to Persephone however, was the enormous grin on the woman's face that didn't seem to falter.

"I'm fine." Persephone replied quietly, edging away from the woman now seated next to her.

"You don't look fine." The woman replied, tapping her chin and grinning again, before reaching forward and prodding at her hand. Never before had a stranger invaded her personal space so boldly, and frankly it made her quite uncomfortable. She pulled her hand away from the woman's grasp, and turned to look for her father who was still nowhere in sight. It was then that she realized the woman was still waiting for some kind of explanation to her wound.

"I burnt my hand. That's all, nothing too serious." Persephone didn't see why she owed this woman any explanation, so her words came out rather short.

"Seem's more serious than a burn to me. You know, I'd say that burn rather shocked you don't you think?" The woman said coyly, as if there were a hidden meaning in her words.

"What?" Persephone was beginning to wonder if perhaps the burn was playing tricks on her mind. Just looking at the woman it felt as though her head was underwater.

"I said I think you're going into shock kid." The woman replied grabbing her hand and studying it again. "Name's Alice, what did you say your name was again?" She asked, and Persephone straightened in her seat. Now something just seemed off, but she couldn't really describe the feeling.

"I didn't…Persephone. My name's Persephone." Her words were coming out broken, and she wasn't really sure why she was indulging this woman.

"Did you know that the name Persephone means destructive?" Alice asked, and Persephone turned to glare at the woman. "Just asking. Your parents must have really hated you when you were born."

The words struck a chord inside Persephone, and if she wasn't so weak she would have pounced on the other woman.

"My father named me after the Greek myth. He doesn't hate me." She argued, pulling even further away from Alice.

"Touchy subject, huh? The myth isn't all that happy either." Alice mused, still grinning like an idiot. Persephone felt the sudden urge to use physical violence to shut the girl up, but quelled it.

"You're much more interesting than most people who come in here…" Alice observed, looking her over.

"What do you work here or something?" Persephone asked Alice curiously.

"No of course not! I just like to come here and observe people." Alice replied dreamily, and something told Persephone she wasn't lying. "Would you like to play a game with me?" Alice suddenly asked, bouncing in her seat a bit.

"Not particularly." She replied shortly, turning away from the woman. Alice just grinned from ear to ear and continued to talk.

"Don't worry it's not a HANDS on sort of game. Just a few riddles." Alice replied, to which Persephone rolled her eyes. This woman must have known how much she hated riddles.

"Here's an easy one for you. What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?" Alice questioned, swinging her legs back and forth in her seat.

"Everyone knows that one. It's man of course." Persephone replied smartly, completely ignoring the fact that Alice did say the riddle would be easy.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Alice asked, but it came out more as a statement.

"I could have handled anything but that riddle." Persephone replied hotly, clenching her good hand into a fist.

"That riddle is nonsense. Everyone knows that." A voice remarked, and Persephone turned her head to see her father had returned. He smiled at her, and then shifted his gaze to glare at the woman. Alice was still grinning, but she narrowed her eyes slightly, and looked Persephone directly in the eyes.

Suddenly Persephone felt as though her tongue was numb, and she opened her mouth to try to say something, but nothing came out. She was able to make a few noises in the back of her throat, but she felt as though she was mute.

"Cat got your tongue?" Alice questioned in a teasing manner, only seeming to grin more at her distress. Finally, Jefferson took one long stride toward her, and slapped her hard on the back, to which she gasped for air but found her voice returned.

"That was weird." She stated, taking the water from her father's outstretched hand to sip.

"Persephone Hatter!" A nurse called from across the room, and she rose to go with the nurse.

"Dad?" She questioned, towards Jefferson who was still in a stare down the woman, Alice.

"You go ahead, I'll be right along in a minute." He replied, eyes never leaving the golden eyes of the woman across from him. Persephone shrugged, before walking off to meet the nurse.

Jefferson, finally free from his pretenses, glared coldly at the woman.

"What the hell did you think you were doing? Trying to poke a bear with a stick?" Jefferson asked, jaw locked in disgust at exactly _who_ was sitting across from him.

"Just seeing how the dear is doing these days." Alice replied, eyes wandering about the room as if she was seeing something the rest of the world wasn't.

"Stay the hell away from my kid." Jefferson warned, and to this Alice's head whipped around to stare at him intensely.

"She's not your kid," Alice countered back to him, and Jefferson finally looked away from her. "Hey! Look at me." He did, staring into her deep golden eyes.

"She's not your kid. Or have you forgotten that?"


	5. Shock to your system

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. Sadly. Very Sadly.

* * *

Persephone's hand didn't hurt anymore. The fear of sitting in a hospital exam room, however, was starting to sink in.

Not to mention her presence seemed to make the nurses nervous. She could tell just by the looks on their faces, and that hurt more than any burn to the hand ever could. So, she kept her mouth shut, and tried to ignore the fact that they were probably all sneaking peeks at her file and gossiping in the hallways about her.

At least Doctor Whale was being polite to her, despite their history. Considering that the last time she had been in this hospital room, she had delivered a very sharp kick to his privates. It truly had been an accident, but she could tell that even now he was careful around her. That was the problem though, **everyone** was careful around her.

"Alright. We need to go over this again, because something is not quite adding up." Doctor Whale instructed, and she glanced at Jefferson for help, only to find him entranced in a book.

"Doctor Whale…I've told you everything…" Persephone replied, but the doctor had already turned to the nurse at his side.

"Cassandra, I need a CBC and an MRI ordered right away. And I also am going to have to have an EKG machine brought in here stat." Whale ordered, before the nurse hurried away. From her place on the bed, Persephone sat straight up, and even her father set his book down out of shock.

"Um…Doc, is there something you're not telling me?" Persephone questioned, glancing at her father who just shrugged his shoulders at her. Doctor Whale however sat down in the chair next to her bed and continued to examine her, a very serious look on his face.

"Persephone…I need you to tell us exactly how you got that burn on your hand." Whale ordered, and from behind him Jefferson's eyes narrowed to slits. Persephone was suddenly beginning to feel very scared, the same way she had felt as a child when everyone would glare down at her.

"I told you…I set my hand on the stove. My dad was Right there! He saw it happen!" Persephone replied, but by the end of her sentence her voice raised a few octaves. Unfortunately, her hysterical reaction only caused more of a commotion, and her father and Whale seemed to be the only one's not panicking.

"Okay. Okay." Doctor Whale said soothingly, patting her leg gently. "It's alright. I'm just going to talk to you okay? And all you have to do is listen, and try to help me out any way you can, alright?"

Persephone glanced out the window, to the men in white suits staring at her, back to the frightened nurses. "Okay." She replied in a small voice, clutching the bed sheet tight to her. "Please don't let them take me away again . I'm just afraid. I swear I haven't done anything bad this time." Persephone pleaded to him, probably sounding like a frightened child. Doctor Whale only nodded, and closed the curtains with one hand.

"Alright, you need to listen okay? I'm here, your dads here, no one else is in this room. Just people you know. And we're trying to help you." Dr. Whale assured her, and her panic level suddenly deflated.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's come over me. I just feel so weird, and my hand doesn't even hurt anymore." Persephone explained, holding her hand up, which was turning an even stranger shade then it had the night before.

"I know." Doctor Whale replied, "Because that is not just a burn, it's an electrical burn."

"What?" She asked, feeling more and more befuddled by the minute. Doctor Whale sighed, and turned to her dad, who by now had abandoned his book.

"Jefferson, may I have a word in the hallway?" Whale questioned, and her father nodded, striding over and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"We'll be right back sweet pea." Jefferson remarked, before turning and gliding out of the room with Whale.

Persephone held her hand up to the light, staring at it. Whatever it was that was going on, she knew for once…she wasn't crazy.

* * *

Out in the hallway, Jefferson paced the floor in front of the calm and collected Doctor.

"Jefferson, did you see Persephone burn her hand? I mean did you actually witness it?" Whale questioned, hands in his lab pockets, staring at said girl through the glass window.

"Yes. I mean no, not really no. She reacted- to something, and I looked and the stove was on. So of course I'm going to think she burnt her hand on the stove, it was logical Doc." Jefferson said, though fibbing about the stove being on.

"I'm sure it seemed logical. However, the timing of her reaction might have just been a coincidence." Whale explained, and Jefferson stomped his foot down exasperated.

"What are you saying doc?" He questioned, leaning against the wall for support.

"I'm saying, that maybe she doesn't even know how she got the burn." Whale replied shortly, still observing Persephone through the window.

"I could understand that." Jefferson replied nodding to himself. "If that made any sense at all!"

"I mean, that maybe she shocked herself earlier in the day. I can't say how…but I can say that maybe it was an electrical outlet. Or something. And- that maybe- out of fear of reprimand, she just forgot that she had the burn." Whale tried to explain, but it sounded dull in Jefferson's ears.

"Like a blackout. She's been getting better Doc. Her memory is almost one hundred percent in tact now." Jefferson said, even though that too was a lie, considering the curse.

"Right. But Persephone isn't a danger to society mainly because she's reactionary. When something happens that she can't handle, her mind goes into override to block it out." The doctor explained, even though Jefferson didn't need to hear it. The image of Aurelie stabbing Alice in the chest was swimming in the forefront of his mind.

"True, but she's never done anything like this before. She knows better than to stick her hand in an electrical socket."

"That was just an example Jefferson. She isn't good with pain though, you know that." Dr. Whale said, and that only brought more images of the woman Jefferson hated to mind. Aurelie had hated pain too, much like the now innocent version of her image. If there was one thing that Jefferson knew for certain, was that he never wanted that kid to change. He would rather spend another 28 years alone in his house with only a young girl for company, than ever set his eyes upon Aurelie's face again.

That was Jefferson's worst nightmare. And he was afraid it was about to become reality.

* * *

Land of Camelot- Pre Curse

The hour was late when two cloaked figures scaled the castle fortifications of Camelot. The city was, for the most part quiet, but security was sound. This should have made it difficult for two foreigners to gain access to the castle, but these two had quite the reputation for stealth under cover of darkness.

However, as soon as they had cleared the castle walls, a sentry spotted them and moved to yell to the other guards. Needless to say, he had to be disposed of.

"What did you do that for? You know I don't approve of killing." One of the men, Jefferson stated, removing his cloak and throwing it over the now still guard. The other figure removed their hood, revealing a young girl, whose name was Aurelie.

"Do you approve of a trip to the dungeons? I hear they cut out your tongue for stealing. And we both know how much you like to talk." Aurelie bantered back at the man, who only rolled his eyes in response.

"Fine. Let's get going though, I'd rather not be **covered **in blood by the time we leave." Jefferson said, throwing his friend a hard glance. Aurelie just wiped one of her daggers clean of the man's blood, humming as she did so.

"Right behind you." She replied cooly, bending over and pocketing the guards change. Jefferson, growing a bit agitated, stomped away without her.

A few minutes later, Jefferson suddenly stopped in front of a very tall tower. Aurelie nearly bumped into him as he halted, having not been paying much attention to her surroundings.

"There," He stated, pointing a finger to a lone window at the top of the tower. Aurelie gaped for a moment, looking like a fish out of water, before finally composing herself.

"Can't we take the stairs?" She whined pitifully, even as Jefferson produced a grappling hook from his bag.

"And risk being seen? I think not." Jefferson retorted, glaring at her.

"Right, because no one will see us climbing the tower out in the open!" Aurelie hissed, crossing her arms in front of her.

"No one saw us climbing the wall." Jefferson shot back, swinging the grappling hook to try to gain enough momentum to throw.

"Do you really think you can throw it all the way up there?" Aurelie asked, eyes rolling at the mere thought. Jefferson could only snort in response.

"Nope, but you're going to help me." He replied, still swinging the hook almost playfully.

"What?" Aurelie questioned, taken aback.

"Do the thing!" He hissed out, stopping and moving his fingers as if he were conjuring a spell.

"Oh, right!" Aurelie replied, straightening out and concentrating on the lone window. Within' seconds the window swung open. And at last, Jefferson threw the hook into the air, which much as he expected it somehow found its way to the ledge. He tugged on the rope few times, just to make sure it was secure.

"Alright, ladies first." He teased, moving to hand the rope to his companion. Aurelie laughed, and glanced disdainfully up to the top of the tower.

"You know, sometimes I forget I can use magic." Aurelie stated, inspecting her nails, "Catch ya' later." And with that, she vanished away with a thick cloud of smoke. Jefferson, a bit put off mind you, coughed and turned toward the long climb up. He hoped that by the time he reached the top, his desire to strangle her would be lessened. He doubted it.

By the time he reached the top of the tower, Aurelie was already there waiting for him, munching on a few tea cakes (she must have stolen them: he thought).

"Thank you, for your help." Jefferson breathed out sarcastically, winded from the long journey up.

"No problem." Aurelie said, obviously not hearing the sarcasm in his tone (she actually had).

"Tell me something, has anyone ever tried to strangle you with their bare hands before?" He asked her, a bit red in the face from anger. Aurelie was actually a tad bit surprised smoke wasn't coming out of his ears.

"A few times actually. I try not to hold it against them; jealousy can make people do crazy things." Aurelie said, and Jefferson calmed down just enough to wonder if she was joking.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist Jeffy. I can't pop us both around…I'm not really sure how to do that yet." She said truthfully, tossing him a tea cake as a peace offering. Jefferson rolled his eyes at her, and finally turned to the lone item in the room.

It was a sword, beautifully crafted, lying atop only a slab of stone.

"Get the door, will you?" Jefferson half ordered, turning to his young companion. She nodded, eyes showing a gleam of interest at the sword on the stone table.

"What's so special about this sword anyway?" She finally asked, barring the door to the hall. Jefferson only shrugged and turned to the item in question.

"Does it matter? We're getting paid to collect, not ask questions." He replied, moving forward and inspecting the security system the sword seemed to have.

"Do you know how to get it? I may be wrong, but I doubt they would just leave it lying around for anyone to take." Aurelie questioned, peering from behind his shoulder to the sword on the table.

"If I had to guess, I would say its weight based. Remove the sword from its resting place, and lose a hand, or worse." Jefferson said, referring to the crossbows aimed over the sword.

"Tricky, tricky." Aurelie murmured, but Jefferson could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. Eyes locked on the crossbows, Aurelie moved forward and rested both hands on the table in front of the sword.

And nothing happened. Jefferson let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding, and leaned against the wall for support. Aurelie grinned at him, and grabbed the sword off the stone table.

Once again, nothing out of the ordinary happened, but Jefferson could only guess that was Aurelie's magic at work.

"Alright, let's go." Aurelie ordered, the two of them turning to the doors, which then flew open. Into the hall came numerous gaurds, as well as a man that practically aerated authority, which Jefferson assumed must be the King. Aurelie held up the sword in defense, but none of the guards moved to attack.

"I must say I'm impressed." The King stated, striding forward, though his guards were still immobile. "But I can't let you take that sword."

"Who said you had a choice?" Aurelie hissed, sword now pressed against the King's chest. The man laughed heartily, before waving his hand. To Jefferson's disbelief the sword flung itself away from Aurelie, somehow landing in the Kings grasp.

"So that's what it does." Aurelie remarked dryly, unsheathing her own sword slowly.

"For me yes. But I'm the King. It won't work for you." The King taunted, holding out said sword in front of him.

"We'll see." Aurelie countered, suddenly swinging her sword, only to be masterfully blocked by the King.

"Name's Arthur by the way." The King stated, almost jokingly, all the while smiling at Aurelie like they were old friends.

"Aurelie. Why aren't your guards attacking?" Aurelie questioned, gesturing to the numerous guards only watching the fight. Jefferson thought it was strange how such a conversation could occur during a swordfight, but somehow the two were making it work.

"Respect. Not from them, but from me. Any lesser thief would die by their hand." Arthur replied shortly, his blows stronger and stronger by the minute. Jefferson wondered if Aurelie's agility bothered him as much as it bothered other men.

Jefferson guessed it must, because the King began landing stronger and stronger blows with his sword. A few minutes passed, before the King finally managed to land a blow on his friend. Excalibur swiped Aurelie on the arm, clearly not the intended target, but she recoiled all the same. Arthur looked pleased with himself, pausing as Aurelie looked at her arm in shock.

"That answer's that question." Arthur stated, as Aurelie cried out in alarm at the wound on her arm. "You can get hurt." Arthur continued, and Aurelie looked up from her arm snarling at her opponent. "You get pretty steamed about it too."

Aurelie let out a cry and swung her sword hard at the King. Arthur grinned as their swords locked, and Aurelie glanced quickly behind her at the open window. Jefferson, sensing the direction this was going, managed to sneak away from the hall unnoticed. Besides, he had a book to steal.

Back in the hall, Aurelie was fighting a losing battle. The King was a strong man, and under usual circumstances she had her magic to back her up. That sword that he was holding seemed to be able to block her powers to an extent, giving him the advantage.

It took one last strong blow to send Aurelies sword flying to the side, Excalibur pressed against her throat.

"Do you surrender?" Arthur questioned, and she gave him a small nod. He removed his sword from her throat, gesturing for his guards to come forward. In one swift motion, Aurelie kicked the King in the groin, sending him stumbling back. Without a sword, and with guards approaching from all sides, she turned and ran toward the open window.

"This isn't over!" Arthur yelled to her retreating form. Aurelie looked behind her, grinning at the handsome King.

"You can count on it." And with those words, she flung herself out the window. She only hoped that by the time she reached the ground her magic would have returned. Otherwise, this fall was going to hurt like a bitch.

* * *

A.N: If this fairytale counterpart seems oddly placed, that's because it is. However this flashback is really super important to the story, because it is a sort of turning point for the character. I wanted to add it to show that Aurelie and Jefferson were in fact very good friends at one point. Also: she kicked both Whale and Jefferson in the groin area. That isn't as important, but it's a funny parallel.


	6. In need of a friend

A.N: This chapter continues right after Ch. 5 so it shouldn't be too confusing. Plus, we finally get to see Henry! No Jefferson in this chapter though, sadly.

Also, the timeline is a little screwy. Chapter one takes place on the night Emma arrives in Storybrooke, and runs into the town sign. And then Chapter's four and five happen right after Emma is released from jail, looking for Henry, etc. So the night of the day of Chapter five is when time begins to move again in Storybrooke, because Emma decides to stay. For this stories purposes I decided not to show any reaction to that night by Persephone, because she had already been affected by Emma's arrival. The main point is, Persephone was asleep in the hospital when time began to move again.

Sorry if that was either really confusing, or just pointless.

Disclaimer: Still own absolutely nothing.

* * *

It had been three days since Persephone had been admitted to Storybrooke Hospital. Jefferson had of course, been to visit her every day, but still she was beginning to get stir crazy.

The first two days had just been routine tests, to make sure she wasn't going to go into cardiac arrest or anything. It turned out that her hand had been incredibly damaged from the electrical current, and the nerves had been all but completely destroyed. The rest of her body had experienced the extreme shock as well, and according to Whale, she would have died if she had waited another day to seek treatment.

It scared her to think that she had somehow hurt herself in that way, and even more so that she couldn't remember doing so. Apparently, it worried the Doctors as well, because she had been under constant supervision since her arrival. Doctor Archibald Hopper, Storybrookes resident psychiatrist had also been a frequent visitor to her room, although he came for business rather than a familial visit. She found she didn't care much for his visits, but compliance would ensure a faster release from the hospital.

Today however, had been nice and quiet, allowing Persephone some much needed time to herself. It was nice, without doctors and nurses rushing in every few minutes, checking her vitals and her mental state. It was refreshing to just sit and relax without worrying about blood tests, therapy, or that Alice might spring in any moment to chat her ear off. Apparently though, a certain little boy hadn't received the memo that she was out of service for the day.

"Persephone!" A voice rang out, startling her from her concentration on the television, which was playing Snow White.

"Henry! What are you doing here?" She admonished, because she knew full well that Henry would not be allowed in this ward of the hospital, not to mention the fact that he had school right about now.

"Relax," The little boy said, rolling his eyes at her and climbing on the foot of her bed. "I'm on a field trip with my class."

"Henry, does your teacher know you're here?" Persephone asked, leaning forward and looking the boy right in the eyes. Honestly, she felt a bit like a mother scolding him like that, and finally he began to look a bit sheepish.

"Well, no." Henry admitted, playing with the hem of the hospital sheet. "It's just that I needed to update you on everything that's happened!"

"What's happened?" Persephone asked, turning the volume down on the television because she didn't want to offend him.

"I found my real mom! I went all the way to Boston to get her! And I brought her back here to Storybrooke." Henry exclaimed, eyes lighting up just talking about it. Persephone however, had her mouth agape in shock, staring at the little boy like he was crazy.

"You went all the way to Boston by yourself?" Persephone asked, knowing without a doubt that the mayor would not have condoned this.

"Yep! I even got to ride a Greyhound." Henry said shrugging like the whole situation was no big deal.

"Weren't you scared in a big city all by yourself?" She questioned, knowing that she herself was afraid just going to the store by herself, let alone having to imagine leaving town. At her question, Henry only raised an eyebrow and then shook his head.

"No, I was okay. And then when I met my mom I just knew everything would be fine. I even got her to stay in Storybrooke!" Henry explained to her excitedly. Persephone couldn't help the slight eye roll that escaped her now, especially over the fact that Henry apparently already had his birth mom wrapped around his finger.

"That's great Henry." She was able to manage out, with a slight grimace to her face. It seemed her hand had taken this time to go completely nuts, throbbing with pain even though it had little use.

"What happened to you?" Henry questioned, staring at her bandaged hand with curiosity. Persephone quickly checked around the hospital room to make sure they wouldn't be overheard and answered,

"The doctor's think I'm losing it, I know they do. But I swear I'm not! They say I stuck my hand in an electrical socket, but I didn't! My hand just suddenly got burnt out of nowhere, I swear, there was no explanation. It was weird… and no one believes me."

Henry stared at her for a moment, thoughtful.

"When did your burn appear?" Henry asked, taking out a pad of paper and a pen. She rolled her eyes at his antics, but answered all the same.

"It happened later at night…Oh! It was the night that lady ran over the sign to town!" Persephone remarked, remembering the headline she read in the Daily Mirror.

"You mean my mom? She ran over the sign with her car the night she got here. And THAT can't be a coincidence. Your burn must relate to the curse somehow!" Henry said, while furiously scribbling down notes on his pad of paper.

"What curse?" She asked, before immediately retracting her statement. Persephone had almost forgotten Henrys strange obsession with the fairytales in his book. "Oh- right. The curse. That must be it then." Persephone remarked a little dryly, too preoccupied in her thoughts to act truly believable. Whether or not Henry caught on to her act, he didn't say, for Dr. Whale had picked that moment to suddenly barge in.

"Henry!" He exclaimed, looking a bit stern. She found this a little bit odd on him, considering his often joking and flirtatious demeanor she had witnessed. "Your teacher has been looking everywhere for you." He finished, trying on a stern tone for size. Persephone laughed, but tried to disguise it as a cough, which also earned a glare from the Doctor.

"Henry," A soft feminine voice called out, its owner poking her head into the hospital room. The woman who spoke was Mary Margaret Blanchard, a teacher Persephone vaguely remembered having at some time in her life. It was odd, because while Persephone did remember Miss Blanchard as the school teacher she had once had, the memories of that time of her life seemed fuzzy and distorted. But now Miss Blanchard was Henry's teacher, the one he had skipped out on to find her. Her demeanor however, seemed calm and collected, oddly patient at the fact that Henry had snuck away from her class.

"Henry, you know you're not supposed to be here right?" Miss Blanchard questioned, kneeling down to Henry's level to speak to him.

"Effie's my friend." Henry bluntly stated, shrugging his shoulders. Dr. Whale raised his eyebrows at this comment and then slipped from the room quietly, giving her a pointed look while he did so. Persephone sighed, just as Mary Margaret gave her a bit of a wary glance.

"I know, Henry. I just don't think your mother would want you down here." Mary Margaret commented, raising to her full height, and holding a hand out for the young boy.

"Your teacher's right Henry. Besides I'm getting tired anyway…I'll see you when I get out of her though. I promise." Persephone said a couple tears pricking to her eyes. Luckily, none slipped down her cheeks, and when she blinked they were gone. Henry, however, seemed to have sensed her change in demeanor. The little boy bounded over to her bed, giving her a large hug around her midsection. She smiled to herself, and hugged him back, even though out of the corner of her eye she caught the concerned glances of some of the nurses.

"Alright, back to your field trip." She was able to choke out, releasing her hold from Henry. He nodded, and followed Miss Blanchard out of the room, who turned to glance back at her a few times before she was out of sight.

Persephone closed her eyes and allowed a few tears to drip down her cheeks. When she finally opened her eyes Dr. Whale was back in the room, studying her carefully.

"Dr. Whale…will it ever get better? Or will people always see me like this no matter how hard I try?" Persephone questioned, her large grey eyes meeting the Doctors steady gaze. The Doctor smiled, and then pulled up a chair next to her bed.

"It will get better, Effie. I promise." Whale remarked, smiling as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of playing cards. "But until then…you get to stay here with me. And continue to kick my butt at poker."

Persephone smirked, and allowed Whale to deal the first round of cards. This might end up still being a good day.

As it turned out, Persephone did beat Dr. Whale in almost every round of cards, despite her ailment. While Persephone smiled, Dr. Whale groaned and pulled out a fistful of candy from his coat pocket.

"You cheat." The doctor argued, even as he tossed the candy onto her bed.

"I do not!" She cried, reaching forward and grabbing a handful of sweets. "I just have really good luck." She said cooly, shrugging her shoulders. Dr. Whale laughed, but their banter was cut short by a loud beeping noise. The doctor sighed, and pulled out his pager, glancing quickly at it.

"Well, gotta run. Emergency." The doctor explained, standing up from his chair and striding to the door.

"Have fun!" Persephone called sarcastically, leaning into her pillows, a bit tired herself.

"Tons," Whale replied dryly, before pausing with his hand on the doorknob. "Wait. Persephone, how did you become friends with Henry in the first place?"

"Well, we both go to see Dr. Hopper for therapy. I guess…he could just see that I needed a friend." She replied, looking down at the hospital bed sheets.

"Yeah. I think he needs a friend too." The doctor said softly, before giving her one last smile and exiting the room.

It had been a good day after all.


End file.
